Reflectors

ABSTRACT

According to the present invention, there is an improved road reflector comprised by a support base ( 6 ), a top casing ( 1 ) and reflecting crystals ( 5 ), wherein said support base ( 6 ) is coupled with the top casing ( 1 ) through a plurality of fastening flanges ( 12 ) and through a plurality of vertical reinforcements ( 7 ) interlayed therebetween and at least two fastening channels ( 8 ) with angular walls ( 8   a ) that provide an adhesive and mechanical reinforcement.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The illustrated embodiments of the present invention refer to road reflectors used for road marking. Specifically, with a road reflector that has internal coupling means between the casing and the base; as well as an attachment to the floor both adhesive and mechanical.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A plurality of road reflectors are currently used that serve as marking means and/or speed reducers, both in cities and roads, among the most common we find those that refer to:

The horizontal marking-type road reflectors, which are reflective devices that adhere to the road surface or to the body of the frames adjacent to the road, arranged in such a way that when indicating therein the light coming from the lamps of the vehicles, it is reflected towards the eyes of the driver as a light beam. Its main use comprises complementing the marks on the pavement and delimiting certain elements adjacent to the road, mainly under weather conditions and/or during the night. The objective is to provide the driver a better visibility of the geometry of the road so as to properly guide him during unfavourable conditions.

The geometrical frame of the road reflectors that are installed on the road surface is pyramidal and may have a square or rectangular base; the size depends on the site where they are to be placed; its design is such that they have the fastening elements suitable for their attachment, they are attached in place by anchors or adhesives.

Nowadays there are several types of road reflectors of different materials, the most common are the ABS (acrilonitrile, butadiene styrene) road reflectors, which is a high impact resistance and long durability plastic; the lenses, made of trapezoidal shaped high-impact acrylic (methyl methacrylate) comprising optical grade prisms with an angle with certain tilt, they may have one or two reflective surfaces, the prisms are internally metalized through a process of High Vacuum Impregnation of Aluminum, its filling is comprised by an epoxy compound designed for high impact resistance.

There are currently several proposals of pendulums for performing impact or stress tests. For example, patent U.S. Pat. No. 4,227,772A that describes a marker including a base of a synthetic resin opaque light diffuser having at least one support wall provided for its use in the direction of the approaching vehicle, and having a plurality of recesses extending inwardly that defines adjacent pockets therein. A synthetic light transmitter resin lens member, rigidly attached to the base, has a peripheral edge portion traversed by a plurality of dividing portions for dividing the lens member in a plurality of areas that respectively cover, and the same extension of the pockets formed by the support wall, the dividing portions and the edge portion is sealed to the support wall for providing a plurality of independent cells and tight-sealed thereon. The lens has a plurality of cube corner type reflecting elements extending beyond the dividing portions and the edge portion and in the cells and aiming for the frame of the reflector to be highly visible by night. The base and the support wall and the lens member in the areas corresponding to the dividing portions and the edge portion reflect the day light for the marker to be easily visible with the day light. An adhesive impact absorber material fixedly attaches the pavement marker of the road and reduces the impact energy imparted by the vehicles for the marker and to the avenue. A disadvantage of U.S. Pat. No. 4,227,772A compared to the present invention is that this has an ultra-thin design, which increases the durability, likewise, it has circular heads that are softer to transit.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,887,011 discloses a pavement marker including a base and at least one lens with retroreflective areas that are aligned for reflecting the lamp light back to a vehicle for producing a night signal. The lens and/or the base are made from resins including a fluorescent material. At least a portion of the lens has no retro-reflective areas, such that the fluorescent material of the lens and/or the base produce a day signal emitted through the lens. A disadvantage of the U.S. Pat. No. 6,887,011 compared with the present invention is that it has an intertwined sonic welding for a better structural support.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,558,069 discloses a pavement marker for providing a signal on an associated road surface visible for the driver of an approaching vehicle, said marker comprising a frame made of a light transmitter fluorescent resin material, said frame having a top surface and a front edge surface, whereby the light received by said top surface is directed through said frame and emitted through said front edge surface for providing a signal to the driver of an approaching vehicle, said pavement marker being arranged for providing an air gap under said light transmitter fluorescent resin material frame, wherein said pavement marker further comprises a base member including a lower portion suited for adhering to the road surface and to the light transmitter fluorescent resin material frame, wherein the frame is provided above the lower portion and wherein the air gap is provided above the lower portion and below the light transmitter fluorescent resin material frame, said U.S. Pat. No. 6,558,069 does not feature the same technical characteristics of the present invention since it does not have a rails system which increases the contact area between the epoxy and the reflective button; likewise, it allows for the adhesive to turn into a mechanical barrier and thus avoiding the detachment thereof.

None of the documents describes a road reflector comprised by a top body and a support base, attached through a plurality of flanges and vertical reinforcements forming a solid piece; as well as a base with two longitudinal grooves providing both, an adhesive and a mechanical contact with the floor. Thus, there is the need for a road reflector that overcomes all the issues of the road reflectors developed in the past.

OBJECTIVES

The main objective of the present invention is: to provide a road reflector enabling both, an adhesive and a mechanical attachment to the road surface.

The second objective of the present invention is: to provide a road reflector having a thinner and less aggressive design for the tires of the vehicles.

The third objective of the present invention is: to provide a road reflector with circular heads that are softer to transit.

The fourth objective of the present invention is: to provide a surface comprised of a plurality of hexagonal anchoring means that increase the fastening of the adhesive to the support base.

The fifth objective of the present invention is: to provide tilted walls channels allowing the adhesive to form a mechanical barrier.

The sixth objective of the present invention is: to provide a plurality of parallel reinforcements and inner fastening flanges.

The seventh objective of the present invention is: to provide a road reflector with fastening areas that facilitate its manipulation.

The eighth objective of the present invention is: to provide high quality reflecting crystals with divisions to enhance the reflectivity thereof.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS OR FIGURES

The previous aspects and many of the concomitant advantages of this invention will be better understood upon reading the following detailed description and considering same along with the attached drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of the top casing of the road reflector.

FIG. 2 shows a side view of the top casing of the road reflector.

FIG. 3 shows a front view of the top casing of the road reflector.

FIG. 4 shows a top perspective view of the support base.

FIG. 5 shows a front view of the support base.

FIG. 6 shows a bottom perspective view of the support base.

FIG. 7 shows a top exploded view of the road reflector.

FIG. 8 shows a bottom exploded view of the road reflector.

FIG. 9 shows a perspective view of a cut of the road reflector.

FIG. 10 shows a zoom to the coupling between the top casing and the support base of the road reflector.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of the top casing (1) of the road reflector.

The top casing (1) of the road reflector will be described, which is comprised by a main hollow body with at least two tilted walls (2) provided in opposed directions, and arranged for casing reflecting crystals (described below). Likewise, said main hollow body of the top casing (1) defines, in its free ends, circular heads (3) softer to transit, which reduce the impact of the tires of the vehicles when contacting the main body of the top casing (1); said characteristic prevents the risk of detachment of the road reflector. At least one fastening area (4) is formed with a bas-relief on the circular heads (3) for facilitating the handling of the road reflector once the adhesive is applied and thus, allow for the accommodation thereof in its final position.

FIG. 2 shows a side view of the top casing (1) of the road reflector.

As it may be seen from FIG. 2, the main top body comprising the top casing (1) has a height (a) of at least 16.00 mm, which results in a super thin design that is less aggressive to traffic, which allows for the road reflector to function as reflective and speed reducer with no damage to the tires and/or to the suspension of the circulating vehicles. Also, said FIG. 2 shows the fastening area (4) formed in the circular heads (3); said fastening areas (4) project from the top end of the main body (1) towards a central point thereof. It is important to note that the fastening area (4) complies with two main functions: the first is to facilitate the handling of the road reflector once the adhesive is applied, and the second is to serve as traction means which helps the tires of the vehicles to pass over said circular heads (3) with no drift, allowing for the vehicle to maintain its path.

FIG. 3 shows a front view of the top casing (1) of the road reflector.

As may be seen in FIG. 3, said road reflector has reflecting crystals (5) over the tilted walls (2) which are comprised by 1(7) (8) high-quality prisms (not shown in the figures), with diagonal divisions (5 a) that allow to maintain a higher effectiveness percentage during all the shelf life thereof.

FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of the support base (6).

As it may be seen from FIG. 4, the support base (6) is comprised by a substantially flat shaped main body, which top portion is arranged by a plurality of parallel reinforcements (7) defining a substantially staggered shape, which serves as support and fastening for the main body of the top casing (1). In said FIG. 4, a pair of fastening channels (8) may be seen at the bottom portion of said support base, which will be described below. Finally, FIG. 4 shows a bas-relief area (9) defining a substantially concave shape (see FIG. 5) provided at the short ends of the support base (6), which serves as the housing for the fastening area (4) located at the main body of the top casing (1).

FIG. 5 shows a front view of the support base (6).

As it may be seen from FIG. (5), the fastening channels (8) have angular walls (8 a) with a tilt that is lower than 90° (same that may be higher than 90° depending on the direction of the wall). Said fastening channels (8) comply with two important advantages:

-   -   The first is to increase the contact area between the epoxy         adhesive and the road reflector.     -   The second is to allow for the adhesive to become a mechanical         barrier for avoiding its detachment.

Thanks to the angular walls (8 a) of the fastening channels (8), the permeated adhesive serves as a “hook” by fastening to the vertexes (8 b) for providing a double reinforcement (adhesive and mechanical) thereby increasing the traction in the road reflector with respect to the road surface.

FIG. 6 shows a bottom perspective view of the support base (6).

As it may be seen in FIG. 6, the fastening channels (8) cross the bottom surface of the support base (6) longitudinally from end to end. Likewise, it may be seen that the free areas not comprised by the fastening channels (8) are comprised by a plurality of hexagonal anchoring recesses (10) that create a surface with a greater contact area that comprises up to 20%, which means more than a fifth of the energy for detaching the road reflector, thereby improving the coupling between the road reflector and the road surface.

FIG. 7 shows a top exploded view of the road reflector.

As it may be seen from FIG. 7, the road reflector provided in the present application is comprised by three main pieces: the support base (6), the top casing (1) and the reflecting crystals (5); said road reflector may be made of any polymeric material.

FIG. 7 also shows how the support base (6) is located just below the top casing (1), thanks to the substantially staggered area of the parallel vertical reinforcements (7). The support base (6) is coupled without colliding with the tilted walls (2) formed in the top casing (1); likewise, it may be seen how the bas-relief area (9) allows for the correct coupling of the fastening area (4). Regarding the tilted walls (2), these form a housing recess (11) that allows for the coupling of the reflecting crystals (5) maintaining a same height without surpassing the edges of said tilted walls (2), preventing the risk of being broke due to the passing of the tires of the vehicles.

FIG. 8 shows a bottom exploded view of the road reflector.

As it may be seen from FIG. 8, said top casing (1) has in its lower face a plurality of fastening flanges (12) equidistantly distributed. Said fastening flanges (12) are distributed so as to allow for the interlayered housing of the vertical reinforcements (7) in order to provide reinforcement to the road reflector and thus avoid the top casing (1) from being detached or crushed with the passing of the vehicles. Such top casing (1) and support base (6), once attached, are sealed by intertwined sonic welding so as to provide a greater structural support and isolation of the road reflector.

FIG. (9) shows a perspective view of a cut made to the road reflector.

As previously mentioned, the road reflector is formed by three main parts, the top casing (1), the support base (6) and the reflecting crystals (5). Regarding the top casing (1) and the support base (2), these are attached by the splicing between the vertical reinforcements (7) and the fastening flanges (12). Said fastening flanges (12) and vertical reinforcements (7) form a dovetail type attachment, which provides a greater resistance to the road reflector, making it unnecessary for the adhesive used to trespass the surfaces from the base up to the inner portion of the top casing (1), which results in a lower adhesive consumption. Furthermore, the implementation of a greater amount of adhesive for filling the top casing (1) would form a cake with a higher hardness and thus breakable, which would not comply with the function of avoiding the detachment of the top casing (1) as in the present invention.

FIG. 10 shows a perspective view of the coupling between the top casing (1) and the support base (6).

As it may be seen from FIG. 10, the coupling between the support base (6) and the top casing (1) is made by inserting the fastening flanges (12) in the reception channels (7 a) formed among the plurality of vertical reinforcements (7). Likewise, said vertical reinforcements (7) are housed within the reception channels (12 a) formed in each fastening flange (12). Said coupling restricts the vertical and horizontal displacement of the top casing (1) with regards to the support base (6) forming a firm and resistant coupling that prevents the top casing (1) from detaching or crushing by the passing of the vehicles.

An embodiment of the invention is based on the fact of being able to manufacture a road reflector with any possible height.

Another embodiment of the invention is based on the fact that the fastening flanges may be of any shape and size.

Another embodiment of the invention is based on the fact that the vertical reinforcements may be of any shape and size.

Another embodiment of the invention allows to make the fastening channels with any angle of less than 90°.

Another embodiment of the invention allows to make the fastening channels with any angle of more than 90°.

Another embodiment of the invention allows to make the hexagonal anchoring recesses with any shape.

Another embodiment of the invention allows to make more than two fastening channels in the lower surface of the support base.

Another embodiment of the invention allows to make the road reflector of any polymeric type.

Another embodiment of the invention allows to use any type of epoxy adhesive.

Another embodiment of the invention allows to make the top casing of any shape, size or material.

Still another embodiment of the invention allows to make the support base of any shape, size or material. 

1. An improved road reflector comprised by a support base (2), a top casing (1) and reflecting crystals (5); said support base 6 is coupled with the top casing (1) through a plurality of fastening flanges (12) and through a plurality of vertical reinforcements (7) interlayed therebetween; wherein the support base (2) has a lower surface with at least two fastening channels (8) with angular walls (8 a) that provide an adhesive and mechanical reinforcement.
 2. An improved road reflector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the main body (1) is comprised by two tilted walls (2) and two circular heads (3).
 3. An improved road reflector as claimed in claim 2, wherein the tilted walls (2) form a bas-relief housing recess (11) that allows for the coupling of the reflecting crystals (5).
 4. An improved road reflector as claimed in claim 1, comprising: a fastening area (4) that projects from the top end of the main body (1) up to a central point over the circular heads (3).
 5. An improved road reflector as claimed in claim (1), wherein the support base (6) is comprised by a substantially flat-shaped main body, a plurality of parallel reinforcements (7) in the top portion and a substantially concave-shaped bas-relief area (9) located at the short ends of the support base (6).
 6. An improved road reflector as claimed in claim 5, wherein the parallel reinforcements (7) have a substantially staggered shape.
 7. An improved road reflector as claimed in claims and 5, wherein the fastening channels (8) have angular walls (8 a) with a slope of less than 90°.
 8. An improved road reflector as claimed in claims and 5, wherein the free areas not comprised by the fastening channels (8) are comprised by a plurality of hexagonal anchoring recesses (10).
 9. An improved road reflector as claimed in claim 8, wherein the hexagonal anchoring recesses (10) may be of any shape.
 10. An improved road reflector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the reflecting crystals (5) are comprised by 178 high quality prisms with diagonal divisions (5 a) that allow to maintain a higher effectiveness percentage during all the shelf life thereof.
 11. An improved road reflector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the reflecting crystals (5) are comprised by 178 high quality prisms with diagonal divisions (5 a) that allow to maintain a higher effectiveness percentage during all the shelf life thereof.
 12. An improved road reflector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the parallel reinforcements (7) form middle receptor channels (7 a).
 13. An improved road reflector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fastening flanges (12) form middle receptor channels (12 a). 